Garissa cancer centre to be opened soon, says Jama

The Garissa cancer centre will soon be operational to curb the challenges of treating the scourge, Governor Nathif Jama has said.

Speaking on Wednesday when he visited the centre to check on its progress, Jama said that screening, treatment and palliative care will be facilitated and prioritised.

The county chief was accompanied by the Deputy Governor Abdi Dagane, among other officials. 

“This project will be a breakthrough as it will reduce the challenges of the common disease that forced many patients to incur expenses as they travelled to seek medical care within and outside the country,” Jama said. 

Garissa is among five counties that benefited from the joint national and county partnership project.

“I assure the public that the county government under my leadership will have the capacity to manage the fully equipped centre effectively and it will host an expanded radiation therapy services for the entire northern Kenya,” he said.

Prostate, oesophageal and colon cancers are the leading cancers among men in Garissa, while breast and cervical are the most common among women.

The alarming increase in oesophageal cancer at the county referral hospital has led to calls from residents to establish the real causes.

During his swearing-in ceremony, the county chief promised to undertake immediate development initiatives to bring back healthcare services to above its earlier levels.

He said the initiatives will cover all health facilities of the county, including the Garissa County Referral Hospital.

The governor said the health sector is crucial and needs to be given priority.

“As we promised during campaigns, providing quality healthcare services is one of the priorities of our administration. As you have already seen, we have moved real quick to restock our hospitals with drugs in our hospitals,” he said.

The county chief said that he will lead from the front to ensure that residents get services.

(edited by Amol Awuor)